Page 234 of Daddy's Pride
I won’t bother you again.
MONDAY 5:16 PM
Hold on, sweetheart. You’re not a bother. Not ever. But I am busy for a few more minutes. I’m wrapping up on a job site. I’m in construction, and we’ve got a new foreman who needs to run some things by me before I can give you my full attention. Can you wait a bit for me?
His full attention? My heart was suddenly pounding again, but it felt entirely different than a few minutes ago. I rubbed my clammy hands on my thighs again, not sure what to do with myself.
Oh, ramen?
Ramen!
I hopped up, then spun back around after taking two steps and grabbed my phone. Checking it five dozen times on the walk between the living room and the kitchen, just in case Daddy replied again.
But he’d said to wait, and I could do that.
I groaned, jerking my phone up to re-read it. He’d asked me to wait. And I hadn’t answered.
But that, at least, I could fix.
MONDAY 5:20 PM
Yes! I can wait. Sorry I didn’t reply right away.
I bit my lip. Should I say why I hadn’t replied? Except the only reason I could think to give him was because I was a hot mess, and that was something he’d probably already figured out.
I hesitated for another second, then sent one more message, typing it out fast and then putting my phone face down on the counter while I started boiling water for ramen.
MONDAY 5:22 PM
Thank you, Daddy.
Not that hiding my screen made calling him Daddy any less weird. But he’d said I could, and he did like it when I was polite, so I had to call him something, right?
Besides, if he wanted me to use his name, he’d tell me that. But once my ramen was ready and he got done with the foreman thing he’d mentioned and messaged me again, he didn’t seem weirded out or ask me to call him anything different. But he did ask me all about why I wanted to become a vet, and which classes I was taking, and why I seemed to be struggling with them.
And by the time the guys got back from getting pizza, I’d started to feel like maybe I’d actually be able to stick it out in school after all.
Especially when Daddy said it would be okay to tell him if I started feeling overwhelmed again.
That maybe he could even help with that.
• INTERLUDE •
MARCH 1
FRIDAY 6:20 PM
Did you get your paper done, sweetheart? It’s due today, right?
FRIDAY 11:17 PM
I did! (Sorry, I didn’t see your message earlier because I was working on it.) I just submitted it.
FRIDAY 11:21 PM
Online, I assume? You’re not taking night classes, are you?
FRIDAY 11:22 PM